If They Knew All About You

No More Secrets

Night had fallen outside of the Tower but the city lights were shining up all the way to the 67th floor. He had FRIDAY dim the windows along with the overhead lighting just enough that he could see the boy next to him. Eyes closed, the kid's face still twitched from time to time in sleep but he did look a lot better, a lot more peaceful at least, his body relaxed. Helen's drug was still doing wonders.

Tony couldn't help but look up from his tablet every so often to make sure that the boy was still there. There was nothing he could do about everything that had happened to his kid, but he would never forgive himself for his own part in all of it. All he could do now, was to try and do better. Not to try, to just do better, no other option acceptable. He tore his eyes away from the kid, back to the documents on the tablet in front of him.

The trail was smudged and it was hard to read everyone's intentions from the little knowledge he had gathered so far. Obi... Obi was simple. Grim Reaper. Just as straight forward. HYDRA, bad guy. Next. It was Clarke that he was hung up on, what the bastard had known and when. Tony would need to know more about the dude because only then could he decided on a plan of attack. He'd need one, a detailed one, had to secure all his bases before he made a move.

The door to the kid's room was pushed open. He didn't even have to look. There was only one person FRIDAY wouldn't announce.

"Hey..." Pepper came up behind him, running her hands over his shoulders, softly trying to coax the tension out of his back. "How about some food, honey? You haven't really—"

"I'm good."

She swallowed hard, making an obvious effort to keep her voice level and soft. "You're not good and that's okay, but you still—"

"I'm not going anywhere, Pep."

"I know, that's not—" She blew out a deep breath. "I'll bring you something. Something hot maybe? I can—"

"Pep, just stop, I—"

She couldn't hold in a low groan any longer. "You're not—"

He shot up from his seat and led her away from the bed, back to the door only to remember that it likely wouldn't help if the kid were to wake up. Maybe the boy's senses would still be dulled enough so he couldn't hear them from across the room, but with Tony's luck, that sense would just fine.

"I know you're worried, Pep. I get it, but I don't have time for any of this right now. As long as they're out there and I don't know how all of this is connected, I can't protect him. Any of us, really."

"It's Clarke, right? He... he knows." She was wringing her hands, clearly agitated. "Is he... is he HYDRA as well? Did you find out if—"

"Shh, I don't..." Tony sighed, a quick look over his shoulder, making sure the boy's eyes were still closed. "I don't think so but he does know something. He has to. We... We'll talk about this later."

Pepper's eyes flickered to the bed, then back to Tony. "He's going to be okay. He looks a lot better already and—"

"As long as these assholes are out there, he won't be. The way they treated him and I don't even know if Clarke knows the worst of it or if all this is just because of the kid's connection to me. If they—"

"Honey." Her hands grabbed both his arms, pulling him out of his thoughts. "You need to eat. You need sleep. You can't take care of him if you don't take care of yourself." She pressed her lips shut, her eyes pleading. "At least let me take care of you, please."

His feet shuffled back and forth, unable to stay still.

Pepper pulled him a little closer, eyes not leaving his face. "I know you're scared. I know all of this is impossible, but they can't touch us, not while we're at the Tower or the Compound. They have nothing on us. Ad—" She gave her head a little shake. "Peter will need you when he wakes up. You'll have to be all here for him."